A cassette type tape player is set placed in a playing state such as reproduction and recording by inserting two reel axles standing upright on the base plate into holes disposed for the axles in a tape pack.
As loading means for such a pack, several different types are known, depending upon the direction of the pack introduction with respect to the tape player. One of these types, which is widely utilized for car stereo devices, is a so-called horizontal loading type, in which a pack is horizontally introduced through an opening formed at the front of the tape player into the inside of the pack guide and then the reel axles are inserted in the pack by moving down the whole pack guide to the reel base.
Loading and unloading of the pack in such a tape player are effected by combination action of the pack guide, into which a whole pack has been introduced, moving vertically and a guide arm pivoting in the vertical direction while supporting this pack guide.
That is, an indicated in FIG. 1, the pack guide 1 is supported by the right end or extremity of the guide arm 2 pivoting around a pivot axle 2a mounted on the frame F. A pin 3 projecting toward the outside is disposed at a part of the guide arm 2, which is on the opposite side to the pivot axle 2a, and the pin 3 slides in contact with a cam 5 having a step of an eject holding plate 4, which is freely horizontally movable forward and backward in the tape player. On the other hand, 6 are disposed at the right and left sides, respectively, over the front end of the pack guide 1, corresponding to the location of the opening for introducing a pack which is formed in the escutcheon of the tape player, and this defines the upper limit for the vertical displacement of the pack guide 1.
In such a pack guide mechanism, when a pack 7 is introduced into the pack guide 1, a pack stopper (not shown) disposed at the center of the guide arm 2 moves toward the inner part of the tape player, and the eject holding plate 4 is pushed out forwardly in combination with this movement of the pack stopper. Then, the pin 3 disposed on the guide arm reaches the lower part of the step of the cam 5 formed on the eject holding plate 4, and the guide arm 2 pivots around the pivot axle 2a supported by the frame F so that its left end or extremity goes down. As a result, the pack guide 1 connected with the extremity of the guide arm 2 goes downwardly while being held horizontally together with the pack 7 introduced in it, and thus the tape player is placed in the playing state such as reproduction and recording.
However, since, in the prior art pack mechanism is indicated in FIG. 1, the pack guide 1 is formed so as to be larger than the pack 7 so that the pack 7 can be easily introduced in it, the pack 7 tends to be deviated in within the pack guide 1 when moved down for recording or reproduction. Specifically, when the pack 7 is movable in the vertical direction in the pack guide 1, displacement can be produced between the pack and the head. By this fact, recording or reproduction cannot be effected smoothly and consequently reliability of the tape player is markedly lowered.
Furthermore, in a horizontal loading type tape player as indicated above, positioning of the pack guide 1 at the moment of loading or ejection of the pack is assured by the stoppers 6 disposed on the main body or housing of the tape player. However, in the prior art pack guide supporting mechanism as indicated in FIG. 1, if there was no play in the connecting part between the pack guide 1 and the guide arm 2, unless these two parts were connected with very high precision, there was the risk that deviation would be produced between the highest position of the pack guide and the stoppers 6. Further, these were inconveniences in that, for example, if the pack guide 1 is mounted too high, either the pack guide 1 when raised up to the position for ejection collides too strongly with the stoppers 6 such that pack guide itself or the stopper can be damaged, or that the pack guide 1 collides with the stoppers 6 before the guide arm 2 is fully raised and thus the guide arm 2 cannot be held at the upper position, because the pin 3 of the guide arm cannot be engaged with the higher part of the cam 5 in the eject holding plate. To the contrary, there was another drawback in that, when the connecting part of the pack guide 1 is too low, even if the guide arm 2 is fully raised, the pack guide 1 is not raised to collide with the stoppers 6, and consequently the pack ejected from the inside of the pack guide is prevented from moving out of the opening in the escutcheon for introducing the pack. On the other hand, there were other inconveniences in that, if the connection of the pack guide 1 with the guide arm 2 is too loose, play is produced between them, and the pack guide 1, which is raised to the higher position, trembles due to external oscillation; unnecessary contact with the stoppers 6 is repeated; and unusual noise is produced by trembling. However, it is not desirable to improve the precision of the connecting part between the pack guide 1 and the guide arm 2, because it requires much time and work for manufacturing and mounting of each part for the pack guide mechanism.